Knock-down play pen



Y United States Patent f 2,837,152 KNoCK-DOWN PLAY PEN Esther M. Wilkerson, Danville, calli. Application Novemberl, 1954, LSei-iai No. 468,615 z claims. (cl. 5 99) This invention relates to play pens or similar enclosures for small children, and .is more particularly directed to wards a play pen which maybe readily dismantled Vfor Vease in carrying, storing, or transporting the same.

Play pens have acquired a widespread acceptance due to their usefulness in confining the area of movement of small children without imposing any .restraining'actiom such as when a harness is used. `Notwithstanding such utility, presently available play pens possess certain disadvantages and shortcomings. For example, the conventional play pen, even if of a knock-down type, is relatively heavy and/or cumbersome, requiring considerable diflculty to move the same such as into and out o'f 'a car. Also, play pens as conventionally manufactured have vertically extending bars or rails which often present a roughened surface to the child, or the more serious danger of having the child wedge his head between adjacent bars.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a play pen which is simple in construction, llight in weight, and which may readily and selectively be dismantled or placed in operative condition.

Another object of this invention is to provide a devic of the character described which is sufficiently strong to confine a child within its confines, yet which is constructed so as to present a substantially unbroken smooth surface to the occupant, and which will protect the child against drafts or the like.

A further object of my invention is to provide a play peu of the foregoing type which in its dismantled condition may be easily stored or transported as the dismantled unit possesses substantially planar characteristics.

The invention possesses other objects and'features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of the play pen of the present invention. l

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectionalview taken substantially in the plane indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Broadly speaking, the play pen of the present invention includes a base 6, side walls 7, and a top member 8. As will presently be made clear upon a detailed description of the construction of the apparatus, the top member 8 is adapted to be'removed from the side walls 7, and the latter is adapted to be folded upon the base 6. In this manner, the play pen in its inoperative or dismantled position, comprises the upper member and the base with its pales folded substantially immediately adjacent the upper surface of the base. In this position, the two component parts of the structure may be readily carried or stored 2 as the particular needs at the time may dictate. Eloweve'r, `in 'the operative or assembled position, a play pen is provided which 'possesses features 'or utility and novelty not heretofore available jin play -pens whether of the stationary or knock-down variety.

ti'cularly to Figures 2 and 3 ofthe drawing, it will be noted that 'the Ysame includes a horizontalf'disk-shaped V`r`rlerr`lber 9. Preferably, the member 9 is of circular conligl'lrY on and may be constructed v'out of wood or the like hj ing a Substantial thickness S S t() llS'LlIe Vag'allst lnid deformation or breaking. As will be understood, when the play penis in operative use, 'the lower surface '1'2 of the member '9 is positioned adjacen'tthe 'ground and may be supported' on suitable legs, not shown, or may be placed directly on the ground. The upper surface "13 Yof the member is designed togsup'port the child 'or occupant of the play perl and to prevent the child from injuring himself VI prefer to completely lcover the surface with a layer of quilting 14 which as seen in Figure 3 completely `encir :les fthe' peripheral end portions of the wooden base. The distal end 16 of the quilting may be tacked, glued, or otherwise secured to 'the lowersur'face 12 of the base so as to irl'nly hold the same to the base. i Extending vertically upward from `njiarginal portionsof the base 6 are a plurality of tubular palenle'mbers '21. While these pales could be made of a solid material, prefer to use tubular aluminum for Ithe 'pales as this con; struction otters maximum strength with a minimum of weight. AThe manner in which the 'pales Ymay lbe placed in their inoperative positionl adjacent base surface l13v'vill be la-ter described.`

The upper ends of pales 21 are adapted to tele'scopicailly enter a plurality of downwardly directed collars '2'2"'W`hi'ch arejpe'r'ipherally spaced on 'a tubular al'urninurn ring 23. This ring, which constitutes the upper end portion "of 'the play pen will obviously be provided with the 'same numbei' of collars 22 as there are pales 21 so that each collar will rest upon and receive one of 'the pales. n this manner, the pales are not merely cantilevered in space but are operatively interconnected by means of the ring 23. This ring further has a function in supporting in a releasable manner the actual side walls of the play pen, for as will be understood, the pales 21 are not placed ,ICG

sufficiently close together to prevent the occupant of the may be disposed inwardly of the pale 21, as here illustrated, it is provided exteriorly thereof and is formed of a single piece of plastic material, such as Vinylite. The lower portion thereof extends subjacent the base and is releasably secured to the latter by providing a ring of elastic material at its innermost lower end. Thus, as the lower end portions of the sheet are secured to the quilting and/or to the base 9, there are no openings through which the child in the play pen can throw objects or can crawl from the unit.

In order to support the upper end 31 of the sheet 26, such end is provided with snap fasteners 33 which when the end is wrapped around ring 23 cooperate to releasably fasten the sheet to the ring. From the foregoing it will be readily appreciated that the wall of the play pen,

consisting of the sheet 26 may be readily placed in its` plasticity and resiliency to avoid, injury to the occupant of the unit.

In dismantling the play pen it is first only necessary to disengage the fasteners 33 so that the sheeting 26 may fall onto the base 6. The* ring 23 may then be lifted upwardly and disengaged from the upper ends of the tubular pales 21, Then, by folding the-pales 21 downwardly and radially inwardly of Ythe b ase member 9, the dismantling operation Willrbe completed and the play pen is then in two parts having such a size and characteristic asto enable them to be readily transported or stored. In order to permit the above-mentioned folding or collapsing of the p ales 21 upon removal of the top ring 23 therefrom I pro- `videbt'he rnechanisrrnbest shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 ofthe drawingrby means of which thelower end portions of the .pales may be pivotallysupported to marginal portionsjof the base. As. illustrated in said figure a plug .4 1 extends upwardlyl from base member 9 and may be secured thereto such as by means of the screws 42. Whenthe pales are in their operative position the lower end portion 43 of each pale will be telescopically engaged with the upper portionof the plug 41.v A pair of ears 44.4extend downwardly from the lower end of the pale and a vertically extending slot46 is provided in each of such ears. v .By means v,of a pin 47 engageable in both of the slots and .in the plug 41, the pale 21 may be raised until it clears the plug 41 and the pin assumes a position adjacent the lowerv end-ofthe slotv 46, At such time, the

pale maybe pivoted about the pin and rotated into a position adjacent the base member. To replace the pale in its operative position it is only necessary to reverse the foregoing .procedure and 'push` the pale Adownwardly so that it will be lfirmly and rigidly interconnected with the base. Then, by. placing the rng'23 on the upper ends of the pales a unitary structure will'be effected. Finally, the sheet 26 is snapped in position and the unit is ready for receiving the occupant.

' From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that while the play pen of the present invention is relativevlysimple in construction, it provides a safe and comfortable space for a child,vand minimizes the dangers of the conventional play pens currentlyavailable on the market,

...2,887,752 l Y e What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a base member, a plurality of vertically extending pales positioned adjacent marginal edge portions of said base member, means at the lower end of each of said pales for securing it to said base member, said means each including a pair of spaced ears each having a slot therethrough and a pin whereby in one position of axial movement of said pale, the pale will remain in an upright position and in another position of axial adjustment of said pale, said pale may be rotated about said pin to assume a folded position adjacent the upper surface of said base member, an upper retaining ring having means depending therefrom engageable with each of said pales, a liner extending from said base portion to substantially the upper end portion of said pales, said liner being positioned substantially immediately adjacent the respective pales and extending completely around said base portion, and means for securing the lower edge portion of said liner to said base portion and for releasably attaching the upper edge portion of vsaid liner to said upper retaining ring.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said base member is of disk-like configuration and said retaining ring is of annular shape and is provided with a plurality of downwardly directed collars for telescopically receiving the upper end portions of said legs.

. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS `1,133,648 Leary Mar. 30, 1915 1,413,068 Stotler Apr. 18, 1922 1,658,387 Meyercord Feb. 7, 1928 1,855,307 Nigg Apr. 26, 1932 1,897,525 McGill Feb. 14, 1933 2,361,743 Butler Oct. 31, 1944 2,498,203 Fischer Feb. 21, 1950 2,563,915 Boisselier Aug. 14, 1951 2,587,255 Vogel Feb. 26, 1952 .2,590,315 Hawley Mar. 25, 1952 2,594,410 Feldpausch Apr. 29, 1952 2,653,330 l Nolan Sept. 29, 1953 

